The first thing you should do with your Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, or Galaxy S23 Ultra is charge up the battery. You’ll want a 100% full battery to get the most out of your new phone, but that then brings up a simple, but important question: Does the Samsung Galaxy S23 come with a charger?
A few years ago, when you could rely on every phone coming with a charger in the box, this seemed like a silly question to ask. But in 2023, it’s necessary to think about it with every phone you want to buy. These days, some phones come with chargers, others do not, and that’s just how things work.
The Galaxy S23 does not come with a charger
What’s the answer for the S23 lineup? Unfortunately, the Galaxy S23 phones do not come with a charger in the box, as part of Samsung’s continued efforts to minimize e-waste. However, they do come with a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable in case you don’t have one of those hanging around.
This means you have to use a charging block you already own or buy a new one for the job. This isn’t always as straightforward as it first sounds, as there are many different chargers and technologies, making it harder to pick the right one for your new phone. To make it even more confusing, the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra also support slightly different charging standards than the Galaxy S23.
Galaxy S23 charging speeds, explained
To get the fastest charging speeds from the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra, you need a charging block that’s compatible with Samsung’s 45-watt Super Fast Charging 2.0 standard. These are available to buy from Samsung or from Amazon and cost around $40. You can also look for charging blocks that support the Power Delivery 3.0 PDO/PPS standard and a 45W output, as these should work in the same way. The regular Galaxy S23 supports the 25W Super Fast Charging standard.
Additionally, all three Galaxy S23 phones have wireless charging using Samsung’s Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 standard, which can deliver power wirelessly up to 15W — provided you use a compatible charging pad and a charging block that supports the correct standards. To ensure this, it may be wise to use Samsung’s wireless charger and charging block. The three phones also have Wireless PowerShare, and can slowly charge up a compatible device wirelessly.
If you decide just to use an old charging block you have at home or a USB port on your computer, the Galaxy S23 phones will still charge — but you probably won’t get the fastest speeds. Having the battery charge up in the shortest possible time is the only major benefit of using or buying a new, 100% compatible charger for your new Galaxy S23. If you’re not that worried about this, and simply charge your phone overnight, then sticking with a charger you already own will save you some money.
